stay high
by tatty ted
Summary: When Annie Buxton was sent to Waterloo Road under the watchful eye of Jack Rimmer, she knew this was her final chance to make things right. But in true Annie style things never have the chance to run smoothly when Jack leaves and his replacement Rachel Mason settles in. Will a personality clash ensure or will Annie realise that not everyone is the devil in life? - —OC.
1. CHAPTER I

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**stay high**  
_to all the independent woman_

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One minute she was sat in the playground minding her own business and the next she was pinned against the wall, an older girl taking her mobile phone. Annie sighed. This wasn't what she'd expected today, yes she was new blood but she didn't want to be the bullies little game.

"Give me back my phone _now!_"

The older girl laughed and held the phone above her head, "what this one?"

"Yes," the girl threw the phone to her friend who caught it and put it in her pocket. Annie glared at the girl and pushed her hard, the girl wobbled and fell onto the floor. Annie grabbed a fistful of hair, "I don't know who you think you are but give me back my phone if you know what's good for you."

Annie felt a blow to the side of her face and she thumped the girl back, still holding her hair and shoved her face to the floor. Both girls began to roll around, fighting as a crowd grew around them and began to chant "fight, fight, fight!"

The chanting attracted the attention of Eddie Lawson and Jack Rimmer and both of them pushed their way through the crowd. Seeing two girls rolling around the floor fighting Eddie grabbed hold of Annie and Jack took hold of the other girl, a year twelve called Shannon.

"Haven't you got lessons to go too?" Jack asked the crowd and they all sighed and disappeared towards the school doors. Annie folded her arms across her chest as she glared at Shannon, that nervous feeling inside her stomach, "what an earth is going on?"

"I don't take to kindly to skanks," Annie began but Shannon went for her, "who are you calling a skank?"

"You," Annie was grateful Eddie was in-between her and Shannon and Jack told them it would be better to sort this out in the office. As she walked through the school she was aware of a couple of students talking about her, Annie been the one who'd been in that sick fight with that year twelve.

Sitting outside the office Annie crossed one leg over the other and rolled up the sleeves of her blazer.

A short while later Shannon left the office and couldn't help give Annie a dirty look as she walked past. Annie stood up and walked into the office, closing the door behind her. Making eye contact with Jack she smiled slightly, "this wasn't how I was planning on meeting the head teacher for the first time."

"Sit down," she did so and crossed one leg over the other, "I believe this is yours?"

He pushed the phone across the table and Annie smiled. She wondered how he'd done it, got her phone back against someone like Shannon. She looked like she wasn't going to give up easily, "how did you get it back?"

"Shannon Black is on her final warning," Annie nodded her head slowly, "so, is this where we do all the boring bits? You read my file, you read how I've been expelled from my previous school, you inform me on my behaviour and how Waterloo Road is my final choice?"

Jack laughed, he was beginning to like Annie she was cheeky but bearable, "you know the drill, should I be worried?"

"No I'm a good kid Mr Rimmer, I just don't take any nonsense from anyone."

"The incident this morning?" Annie nodded her head, "I was just sat there minding my own business and next minute this girl's all up in my face and snatches my phone. I'm not a gobshite so I had to use my fists, it's the only thing I'm good at."

There was a pause between the two, "have you read my file from St Christopher's?"

"No should I have?"

"No there's no reason too," Jack reached for a piece of paper and handed it to Annie who's eyes skimmed the page. Her first lesson was Maths with Mr Lawson and she was worried that his first impressions of her were negative. Annie wasn't a bad kid she was just misunderstood.

"Any questions?"

"Yes," she paused for a second, "do I really have to take French?"

Jack laughed, "afraid so now I don't want you back in my office today okay?"

"Yes Mr Rimmer," leaving the office she closed the door behind her and stared at the timetable once again. Folding it up neatly she put it in her pocket and went along trying to find Mr Lawson's room 24B. Eventually after walking around for ten minutes she came to the room and knocked on the door,

"Are you Mr Lawson?"

"Yes and you are?"

"Annie Buxton. Sorry I'm late Sir, I got lost." He nodded then gestured for her to sit down at a spare table, she found one at the back of the room and sat down. Listening to Eddie go on with himself she found herself wondering if she'd settle here better than her other school, she didn't want to move.

"Annie can you answer the question on the board for me please?"

Breaking out of her daydream she made eye contact with Eddie, then the board. Taking a couple of seconds to work out the question she answered, "the answer is sixteen, sixteen is the cubed root of sixty-four."

"How did you get the answer?"

Annie could feel everyone's eyes on her, here she was as the new kid and was already showing them up in lesson; "When fractions are exponents, the answer is found by taking the base number in this case sixty-four to the power of the numerator of the exponent; and then taking that whole quantity to the root of the denominator of the exponent."

"Can you speak in English?" Someone shouted out and the class began to laugh. Eddie managed to get them to quieten down but kept his gaze on Annie. Explaining to the rest of the class Annie answer in not so many mathematical terms, he handed out a worksheet on logarithmic equations.

She spent fifteen minutes on the work sheet and the rest of the lesson biting her pen hoping for the bell to ring.

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**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	2. CHAPTER II

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**CHAPTER TWO**  
_somebody said they saw you_

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After an incredible lesson with Annie, Eddie decided to ask Jack about Annie's predicated grades. He hadn't expected _that _sort of quality of work from her when she walked in ten minutes late muttering her apologises for getting lost.

"Annie Buxton," he began but Jack cut him off, "she hasn't been fighting has she?"

"No she's just produced an amazing piece of work on logarithmic equations in half the time it took the others. What is she predicated?"

Annie's file hadn't arrived from the LEA yet so everyone was none the wiser to what Annie was capable off.

"Let me know when it arrives yes?"

Annie seemed to gain brownie points in her other lessons by doing very little. In English she'd impressed Tom Clarkson by been able to recite William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet which is what they were studying for the year. Then she'd impressed in Physical Education because of the way she played in netball.

She didn't know how she was impressing people, she was just an ordinary girl with a slightly high IQ.

When the bell rang for home time she stood up from the chair, grabbed her handbag and left the classroom. Walking down the corridor with the crowds of students, she made her way outside. Untangling her headphones she put them in her ears and began to walk away from school towards home.

/

Jack sat in the office Annie's file in front of him. It had only just arrived from the LEA due to a mix up and he wondered what, if anything, he wasn't going to find in her file. Annie seemed a good kid but was it an act because it was her first day?

Jack opened the file.

**School Records Bureau**. **Confidential information**.

_**Name**; Annie Rowena Buxton._

_**Sex**; Female._

_**Date of Birth**; 14th April 1993._

_**Nationality**; British_.

_**Ethnic/Origin**; White._

_[[ attached was a photograph of a young girl ]] _

_**Family**; Annie was brought up with her parents and an older sister before guardianship was given to her older sister when Annie was five. When Annie was eight her sister died in an accident and Annie was put in care. Since the death of her sister she's moved from various care homes and foster homes before settling at Rochdale Care Home where she's lived for the last six months._

_**School's Attended**; _

_**Elm Wood Primary School, Middleton.** (years 0-6) — Annie is an exemplary child to teach. It was clear from the beginning that Annie was gifted and talented and we catered for her needs. She showed a wide range of knowledge in all subjects especially in Maths and English. Annie scored Level 6 at the end of her KS2 SATS Tests. We wish Annie all the best in high school!_

_**St Christopher's C&E High School, Middleton**. (year 7-9) — Annie is a pleasure to teach. She is kind and courteous to staff and other pupils. She demonstrates a strong ability in English and Maths and enjoys Physical Education and been part of the netball team. It is clear that although Annie has the ability to do the work set, certain memories from the past still hold her back. We find these are more clear on the anniversary of her sister's death where Annie finds it difficult to concentrate. After a couple of exclusions for fighting both students and staff, we made the difficult decision to permanently exclude Annie although we do wish her all the best for the future. _

Jack closed the file and breathed a sigh of relief. When Annie had asked if he'd seen her report from St Christopher's he was worried it would be something major. He was glad it wasn't, she wasn't a bad kid really, Waterloo Road had seen much worse.

Placing the file in his draw, he wondered what tomorrow would bring.

/

Reaching home Annie pressed her key into the door and stepped inside. She'd been at the care home for six months now but it still didn't feel like home. It was just a place where the unwanted children went when nobody wanted them.

Closing the front door she made her way upstairs to her bedroom. Reaching the room she noticed the door to her room was slightly ajar and she frowned, knowing she'd closed it this morning. Swallowing hard she pushed open the door to find one of the younger children messing in her room.

"Darius? What've I told you about been in here?"

He was sat in the middle of the floor surrounded by pictures and paper and Annie smiled softly. Darius was five and one of the new kids who'd taken a liking to Annie. Darius was a lovely child even though sometimes he could be annoying.

Sitting down on the floor she looked at Darius, "we'd better tidy up before Toni shouts."

Darius just laughed, scooped up a handful of pictures and threw them in the air. As Annie caught one, she looked at the picture of her and her sister taken a couple of days before her death and felt the tears pool in her eyes. She wasn't going to cry, she couldn't cry in front of Darius, he'd get scared.

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**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3  
the logarithmic question in the first chapter was 64 2/3. the answer is 1/16.


	3. CHAPTER III

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**CHAPTER THREE**  
_you're the best thing i'll always need you_

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Annie sat in front of the mirror putting bobby pins in her hair and adjusting her school tie.

She remembered times from when she was a kid and she was sat in front of the mirror with her sister behind her styling her hair. It only seemed like yesterday, not five and a half years that it was since her sister had passed.

Getting up she grabbed her bag and her blazer off the bed and went downstairs, not bothered that she'd get to school ridiculously early. She was hoping to avoid her care worker Shelley who wanted to discuss a few things with her.

Reaching the door she sighed when she heard Shelley's voice, "Annie?"

"What?" She turned around slightly and leant against the wall.

"We need to talk, you said you'd talk about this."

"Maybe I'm changing my mind maybe _I_ don't want to talk about _this_ anymore."

"You can't avoid the subject forever Annie."

"I can bloody well try!" With a small smile she opened the door, "fine I'll talk but it'll have to be after school, you know when I've had time to think about what I need? Is that okay?"

"It's a start," the door slammed shut and Shelley sighed, Annie could be stubborn when she wanted to be.

The walk to school seemed to take longer today than it had all week. A potential foster family had been found for Annie but she didn't know what to do. She'd dreamt of this moment since she was eight but she'd got used to living in a care home with those she considered family.

Sitting on the steps at school she took out a piece of paper and unfolded it. On the page was a photograph of a middle aged couple called Vicky and Stuart. They were in their mid-forties and had three children already and were looking for a child to adopt.

She wasn't sure she wanted to be adopted though, she'd always be the odd one out wouldn't she?

"Annie?" Eddie called when he saw Annie sat on the steps. He thought it was her from the distance but couldn't help but wonder why she was here so early. He edged towards her and called out her name once again aware of the paper she was holding and reading.

Eddie's voice broke through Annie's thoughts and she looked up and smiled softly, "morning Sir."

"You're here early aren't you?"

Annie shrugged, "I didn't really want to stay at home this morning."

"Problems?"

Once again Annie shrugged, "something like that. Shelley, my care worker wanted to talk to me about something but I didn't want to talk. I don't think I'll be ready to talk when I go home either."

"That bad?"

"That complicated," she scrunched up the piece of paper and threw it back into her bag. Standing up she followed Eddie into the school and decided to wait outside her form room, staring at the wall still in thought about what she was going to do.

How could she tell Shelley she didn't want to be adopted by them?

All through form and first lesson she was quiet and kept herself to herself. It wasn't out of the ordinary for Annie she was genuinely a quiet person but still Jasmine wondered if there was something more to her quietness. She'd read Annie's file and knew all about her sister's death, was the anniversary close?

"Annie can I have a word please?"

Annie nodded and asked, "what's up?"

Jasmine paused for a second, "is everything okay, you seem distracted."

"Yeah everything's great, can I go now before I'm late for next lesson?"

Reluctantly Jasmine let Annie leave knowing there was nothing else she could do. If Annie wasn't going to open up she couldn't force her too. Standing outside her form room Annie wondered why her life couldn't run smoothly, why when ever she was settled did shit happen?

Her first lesson of the day was French with Steph Haydock, her second French lesson of the week. The first hadn't been too great and she walked into this one muttering her apologises for been late and sat at the back of the classroom.

"agréable pour vous joindre à nous." (nice to join us.)

"plaisir. maintenant que nous pouvons obtenir sur?" (pleasure now we can get on?)

Steph ignored Annie impressed at her French, she'd kept that under her hat on her first lesson, she hadn't been able to communicate pretending she didn't know French. Halfway through the lesson Annie and Danielle Harker got into an argument and Annie slammed her into the wall, "sale pute!" (dirty whore)

"filles que ça suffit!" (girls that's enough!) Steph said but Annie ignored her and pushed Danielle again.

"You're a psychotic bitch now get off me!" Danielle slapped her and pulled her hair. Annie replied back in fluent French, "touchez-moi encore et je te tue!" (touch me again and I will kill you!)

"That's enough!" Steph grabbed Annie off Danielle and told her to go to the cooler. Staring at Danielle Annie kicked a chair across the room, picked up her bag and muttered to Steph on her way past, "salope stupide!" (stupid bitch)

Slamming the door closed Annie made her way to the cooler. Kicking open the door once she got to the cooler she noticed Davina look up at her from dealing with Karla and she threw her bag to the table at the back of the room.

Sitting down she tapped her fingers against the desk and put her head down. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes but she wasn't going to cry, she wasn't going to cry over the whole adoption/foster thing it was pathetic and nobody would understand it.

She'd only been sat in the cooler five minutes when the door flew open and Jack stood there, anger written all over his face.

"My office now!" He yelled in Annie's direction. Standing up she picked up her bag, took a deep breath and followed Jack to his office. She knew what was in store, she was in for a right bollocking. She jumped as the door to Jack's office closed.

"Well? Aren't you going to explain what the hell happened in Miss Haydock's lesson?"

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**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3  
i used google translate for the French because i never listened in my lessons; sorry if it's wrong.


	4. CHAPTER IV

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**CHAPTER FOUR**  
_let me by your fantasy_

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"Does it matter what the hell I was doing?"

"Annie you know full well you can't go around hitting people."

"I don't give a shit okay, I've got better things to be dealing with!" Annie kicked the chair angrily, the chair hitting the desk with a bang, "now do your worst! Send me to the cooler, put me in after school detention, I really couldn't care less. Now do your worst, come on!"

"Cooler now! Then I want to talk to you when you've calmed down."

Annie opened the door and then turned to Jack, "I'm done talking, talking doesn't work. It doesn't solve your problems, it just makes you forget them for a while!"

The door slammed shut and Jack blinked as Annie left the room. He didn't know what had made her tick and why her behaviour had been so out of character. He double-checked the date on the file of Annie's sister's death and when that didn't shed any light, wondered what was going on at home that had made her so disruptive?

Annie didn't go to the cooler as she was told too instead she found herself on the field staring at the piece of paper again.

Tearing it into pieces she threw it on the ground before beginning to cry. Running into the school she collided with Davina who touched her arm gently, "Annie?"

Realising the young girl was crying she asked if she was okay and Annie shook her head, "no Miss but please let me go. Please Miss just let me go. I need, I need to be on my own right now."

"Let me find us somewhere to talk," Annie knows she could've done a runner but she decides not too. Instead she finds herself sitting with Davina in the pastoral care office, fiddling with some tissue in her hand.

"Are you going to tell me why you're so upset?"

Annie shook her head and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It was pointless to try and explain why she was upset, as she said earlier, talking doesn't solve anything, "it's got to be something Annie."

Suddenly a wave of anger washed over Annie and she stood up and kicked out at the table. The table wobbled and fell on its side, the water bottle and the box of tissues falling on the floor. Davina sighed, it was going to be harder than she thought to get Annie to talk.

"Who would you rather talk too?"

"Nobody now just leave me alone!"

Davina knew she couldn't leave Annie, the child was a danger to herself and others at this present moment. There was definitely something bothering her, something she couldn't speak about because it hurt maybe?

"Annie?"

Annie kicked the table again, "a family are interested in fostering me okay?"

"Is that not a good thing?"

"Hell no," she kicked the table again, "I've been in care since I was eight years old Miss. I have moved from one foster home to the next, one care home to another. I have had the same care worker since I was eight years old who's given up everything to look after me. My care worker was the one who taught me the basic skills to survive, who tucked me up in bed and read a story. My care worker was the one who chased away the monsters when I couldn't sleep. If_ I_ even consider this family, I'm leaving behind those I've considered family and for what? There's no guarantee it'll work? Then what? I've lost everything, again."

Davina didn't answer right away she just listened.

"But it _might_ work?"

"Unfortunately Miss might isn't strong enough when you're a care kid."

"Have you spoken to your care worker about this?"

Annie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she shook her head, "no. We were meant to discuss it last night, I promise I'd discuss it before school but I just can't. I can't because, well because I can't."

"Why?"

Annie sat down and looked at Davina, "it's complicated okay?"

"Okay."

There was a silence between the two until the bell rang for lesson time. Annie stood up and bent down, ready to lift the table up and put the room back the way it was. Making eye contact with Davina as she placed the box of tissues back on the table she smiled brightly and said thanks.

"Do you feel better for talking?"

"Hell yeah," as they left the room Annie knew she'd better go to the cooler where she belonged, before Mr Rimmer saw she'd never been. With her bag hitched onto her shoulder she slowly began her way to the cooler and froze when she saw Mr Rimmer outside staring right at her.

"Annie Buxton!"

With a sigh she edged towards him, "Mr Rimmer."

"I thought I told you to go to the cooler?"

"You did I—" there was a pause and Jack looked at her closely. Her eyes were red and her lips were slightly cracked from crying so much and Jack asked, "have you been crying?"

Leaning against the wall arms folded across her chest she answered back; "thanks Mr Rimmer just broadcast it to the entire school that Annie Buxton is a mard arse why don't you? Yes I've been crying, I've been sat in pastoral with Miss Shackleton."

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine now," she smiled brightly, "do you want me to sit in the cooler for the rest of the afternoon? I've got things I need to be doing and perhaps keeping me away from the other students is best. At least for the time being, is that okay?"

"Whatever you think is best Annie."

As Annie walked into the cooler and sat at the table at the back of the classroom, Jack wondered why the sudden change of attitude. Perhaps it was something Davina had said to her? Annie sat in the cooler and began to read her English book hoping to get her essay done now so she didn't have to do it at home.

As Jack headed back to his office he bumped into Davina and asked, "what did you say to Annie Buxton?"

"Nothing why?"

He shook his head, "she's had a complete change of attitude. I keep wondering if it's the same child."

"She just needed to talk about something, home's a bit complicated at the moment." Jack nodded and as Davina walked away, Jack wondered if it was possible for Annie to truly settle here at Waterloo Road. She'd already been here a week and there were already fireworks.

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**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please review:3


	5. CHAPTER V

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**CHAPTER FIVE**  
_where did I go wrong?_

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Annie arrived home from school at three forty-five, fifteen minutes later than usual. Closing the door quietly, she ran up the stairs and to her room before Shelley could even catch her. Throwing her school bag in the corner she got out of her school clothes and changed into some tracksuit bottoms and a blue tank top.

Lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling, she waited for a knock on the door.

The knock on her bedroom door eventually came after ten minutes of arriving home, "Annie are we going to talk now?"

"You talk and I'll listen."

"I don't want this discussion in the corridor Annie, can I come in?"

"Fine but don't think I'm going to talk," the door open and Shelley stepped into the room. Catching Annie lying on her side, she closed the door behind her and walked up to the bed. Sitting on the edge she was silent for a couple of minutes, "have you thought about what your going to do?"

"Yeah and I don't wanna get fostered or adopted by this couple or any other couple for that matter."

"Why?"

Annie twirled a piece of hair around her finger, "it sounds silly but—well I don't want to be adopted by any of these people. They don't know me. All they see is a piece of paper and a child who _might_ fit into their family life.

"And what happens then when it goes wrong? Don't get me wrong of course I want to be adopted but the person I want to adopt me, never will so—"

"Who do you want to adopt you?"

"You," she shuffled on the bed and made eye contact with Shelley, "I want you to adopt me but I know that's out of the question so I'd rather stay in this care home and have you as my care worker than leave you. It sounds so pathetic but," Annie sighed, "you've been there since I was eight years old. In my eyes you're not just my care worker, you're my mother too."

"Is that why you were worried about talking to me?"

Annie shrugged her shoulders and couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face, "there's no guarantee it would work with this foster family is there?"

"No but—"

"So I don't want to do it."

"Are you sure?" Annie nodded her head and hugged Shelley tightly. As the older woman wrapped her arms around the child Annie knew she'd rather stay here with Shelley then go without her. As she said Shelley had been the one to teach her the basic skills of survival, in her eyes she was the mother Annie never really had in life.

"How was school?"

Annie was silent and Shelley guessed Annie had probably done something out of character for her. She usually did when something major was happening; usually the anniversary of her sister's death or her sister's birthday. Today was a big event for Annie having to decide to be adopted or not and in true Annie style she didn't speak to those who cared about her most.

"Annie?"

"It was okay nothing major happened. I had a fight with a girl but," Annie shrugged, "Mr Rimmer sent me to the cooler and once I'd calmed down I was better for the rest of the day."

"I want this to be a fresh start for you Annie but how can it if you keep letting things get to you? I know you find it hard to talk about things but you know my office is always open don't you?"

"I can't forget it because you keep telling me."

Shelley shook her head, "less of the lip missy. I'll leave you alone okay, tea should be ready soon."

Shelley walked to the door, opened it and closed it behind her. Annie lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, it wasn't too difficult to tell Shelley what she was feeling. She knew now for the future that whenever she had a problem she could speak to her care worker.

With a small smile Annie turned over and looked at the photograph on her bedside table of her sister. With her sister's spirit anything was possible.

/

Four weeks passed and Annie seemed to be settling in well. She hadn't had any altercations with any pupil, her attendance and her work were off the highest standard and Jack was glad that he'd given her a chance to prove herself after her fight with Danielle Harker.

She was in a particularly bad mood the day Jack announced he was leaving. She was in a bad mood that morning anyway because Samantha, the girl across the room had woken everyone up at six o'clock banging her bedroom door. Then she'd got to school, realised she'd forgotten her phone and then had to have an assembly where it was announced Jack was leaving.

Knocking on Mr Rimmer's door after assembly Annie folded her arms across her chest, "you're leaving then?"

Jack nodded and Annie sighed. It was always the way in life, the moment she was getting used to someone they'd leave her, "can I ask why?"

Jack didn't elaborate and Annie began, "is this because of the money or something? That's ridiculous if it is because you didn't do anything wrong Mr Rimmer, you were doing what you thought was right by the school."

"The LEA didn't quite see it like that."

"Then they're a bunch of knobs then," Jack raised his eyebrows at Annie's choice of words but didn't tell her off. In his eyes too the LEA were wankers. Annie leant against the door frame, "I guess I should be used to goodbyes by now but,"

They made eye contact as she continued, "thanks for giving me a chance Mr Rimmer."

He smiled, "you're not a bad kid Annie you've just got problems like half the kids in this school. You'll got far if you remember that nobody's against you and everyone's here for you. You know what your problem is Annie, you don't talk."

Annie laughed. This conversation she was having with Jack reminded her of the conversation she had with Shelley a couple of weeks ago. Shelley had pretty much said the same thing about Annie not talking to those who cared. It had been a habit of hers since childhood, if you had a problem you dealt with it, alone.

"What's so funny?"

"Me and my care worker were having the exact conversation a couple of weeks ago."

Catching the time from the clock Annie knew she needed to be going to lesson. With a small sigh she said, "I better go to lesson, I don't want to be late. Thanks for everything Mr Rimmer, maybe we'll see each other someday."

Turning on her heels she left the office, a sigh escaped her lips.

She hated goodbyes with a passion.

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**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	6. CHAPTER VI

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**CHAPTER SIX**  
_look at you in that dress_

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The teachers found Annie slightly disruptive after assembly, they knew it was bound to happen. Jack Rimmer was a good head teacher and he'd be missed by all students and staff, they knew they were going to have some disruption on their hands.

Annie was silent for the majority of her lessons which wasn't unusual, she was quiet anyway. It was only after break when she didn't turn up for English that Tom began to be a little worried, he knew she'd exploded a few weeks ago when things were getting tough at home.

Knocking on Jack's door Tom said gently, "Annie Buxton didn't turn up for English."

Jack looked up from placing his stuff in a cardboard box and sighed deeply, "Annie didn't turn up?"

"No. I thought you should know," Tom left Jack staring at the files in the box. He knew Annie would've taken it hard. They had a bond that Annie had never experienced with anybody else and now he was leaving, it was the end of it.

Leaving his office Jack went looking for Annie, he knew she wouldn't have gone far, she was a bright kid who got a little lost sometimes.

He'd searched high and low for her before finding her on the roof near the canteen, swinging her legs backwards and forwards wondering why things always went wrong for her. It almost felt like to Annie that somebody above didn't want her to be happy.

"Annie?"

Hearing Jack's voice she was silent for a moment before replying, "yes?"

"You know its unsafe up there don't you?"

"Don't care," there was a pause before Jack sighed. Annie couldn't have run rings around him sometimes, she was definitely one pupil who never made Jack's life easy; he'd miss her when he left Waterloo Road.

"Annie why are you doing this?"

"Ain't no point in talking is there? What's the point, I trusted you Mr Rimmer and now you're leaving, just like the rest of the idiots in this world who've left me! I really thought you were different, I thought I'd found home here with someone who understood me. I was wrong wasn't I?"

Annie continued to swing her legs backwards and forwards as Jack listened to what Annie was saying,

"Annie Waterloo Road will still be your home whether I'm here or not."

She spoke over him, "no it won't because the LEA will employ some div who hasn't got a clue what they're doing. They will most likely read my file and write me off as some trouble marker with a hopeless background and then what? Eventually they'll kick me out won't they?"

"Is that what you think will happen?"

"It's what I know will happen."

"Annie remember what I said, no child left behind that's our motto here. You never know you might actually like the new head."

"You've got more of a chance of seeing pigs fly," Annie responded and Jack laughed remembering why he liked Annie as much as he did (if he ever had a favourite pupil it would have to be Annie)

"Will you come down?"

"Are you telling me or asking me?"

"Asking you."

"Well I don't want too," Annie replied and after a couple of minutes silence realised that Jack was right. She had to come down at some point. With a sigh she stood at the top of the roof and jumped down. Despite landing on her feet she still took Jack's hand.

She looked down at Jack's hand and then back at Jack, "Mr Rimmer, will you promise me one thing?"

"What's that?"

Removing her hand from his she replied; "you won't forget me will you?"

Jack smiled, "I don't think anyone will ever forget you Annie."

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**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	7. CHAPTER VII

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**CHAPTER SEVEN**  
_move your body higher, higher_

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As Annie stumbled down the corridor she was beginning to regret going out last night. She'd borrowed one of the older girls ID and gone into town with a stash of money she'd stolen too from Chanelle too. She knew she had to face the music tonight when she went home, it would be like World War III had broken out.

Rachel Mason hoped her first day at Waterloo Road would be stress-less but she hadn't encountered upon meeting Annie stumbling down the corridor, five minutes after the bell for registration had rang. She approached the girl with caution, "where should you be?"

"A lesson," she leant against the wall wondering who this woman was and why she seemed to have a face like thunder.

"Who's your form tutor?"

"Who even are you and why are you telling me what to do?"

Rachel looked at the teenager. She was used to dealing with rebellious teenagers who didn't want to follow the rules and thought they were above the law. Folding her arms across her chest she spoke down to the teenager, "I'm Miss Mason your new head teacher, you are?"

"Alison Morgan."

"I suggest Alison Morgan that you either head to your form room or you'll spend the morning in the cooler, which is it to be?"

There was a silence on Annie's part and for a moment Rachel believed she'd got through to her. After a couple of seconds Annie replied, "so you're the stuck up cow the LEA sent to replace Mr Rimmer. Seeing as its you I'll take a morning in the cooler."

Rachel sighed and began to lead Annie to the cooler. When they reached the cooler she pushed the door open and Annie walked in and threw her bag over the table. Eddie looked up at the commotion and his eyes fell upon Rachel and Annie.

"Annie what's happened?"

Rachel looked at Eddie and then Annie who'd sat down at the table and folded her arms across her chest, "Annie? This young girl said her name was Alison."

"No its definitely Annie," he answered and Rachel gestured outside wanting a private word with her deputy. As they stood outside Rachel wondered what Annie Buxton was like, was she a regular trouble maker and would she prove a problem at Waterloo Road?

"Regular trouble maker?"

Eddie shook his head, okay sometimes she could be difficult to teach but everyone had those days. She was a good kid when she wanted to be, "Annie Buxton's a straight A student. She just struggles to adapt to change, give her a chance and you might actually like her."

Rachel listened to what Eddie was saying and left Annie in his capable hands. He knew Annie better than her and she was planning on finding out more about Annie Buxton. She couldn't believe Annie was a straight A student though, straight A students weren't trouble makers.

"Oh and Eddie, can you make sure Annie sees me before break?"

He nodded and looked through the window. Annie was sat at the table, English book out in front of her writing the essay that was due in. He walked back inside the cooler and closed the door. She didn't even look up when the door closed, "what happened?"

She didn't reply.

"Annie?" He sat on the edge of the desk, "I'm talking to you."

"Yeah well I'm choosing to ignore you," she briefly glanced up from the page, "now if you don't mind, I doubt this essay's going to write itself."

Eddie sat down at the desk with a sigh.

The two hours seemed to fly by, Annie had completed both her English essay and her science essay and had spent the last half an hour leaning back on her chair. Eddie had warned her numerous times but he'd given up when he realised she wasn't going to listen.

The bell rang and Annie stood up, grabbed her bag and walked to the door.

"Annie?" With her hand on the handle she turned around, "yeah?"

"I know you miss Mr Rimmer but try and get on with Miss Mason, you might like her."

Annie laughed, "thanks for the talk sir but I think there's more chance of seeing pigs fly then me getting on with her."

Walking into the corridor she heard Eddie remind her that she was to see Rachel. She rolled her eyes and made her way towards the office. Knocking on the door she waited for Rachel to say come in. Hearing Rachel tell her to come in she walked in, "you told Mr Lawson I needed to see you."

"Take a seat."

"I'm happy standing thanks."

Rachel walked towards the door and closed it, "I don't know how close you were with Mr Rimmer but I'm not here to replace him Annie. I'm here to make Waterloo Road a better place. Can we least try and get on?"

"I'll try but I'm not promising anything, now can I go?"

"You can go," as the door closed behind Annie Rachel sighed deeply. Would Annie ever trust Rachel, would they ever get on?

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**jottings** / sorry for the late updates, work have been hectic. if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	8. CHAPTER VIII

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**CHAPTER EIGHT**  
_oh lord what's the use?_

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She sat on the wall outside rolling the paper of the cigarette. It was easier than it looked and she found herself cursing herself wondering why she couldn't roll a stupid cigarette! Throwing it down on the floor she sighed deeply.

Annie wondered if she could ever like Rachel. She seemed okay but would the trust be the same as it was with Jack. She absent-mindedly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, watching the little kids walk past without a care in the world.

The bell rang to signal the end of break but Annie didn't move, she still sat on the wall. Eventually she jumped off the wall realising the longer she sat on the wall, the more reason Rachel had to dislike her.

The next lesson before dinner was English and she walked into the lesson five minutes late and sat down as far away from Mr Clarkson as she could,

"Sorry I'm late. I had to use the toilet."

Tom nodded and continued the lesson. It didn't go unnoticed by Tom during the lesson that Annie was very quiet and he took a mental note to speak to her at the end of the lesson. Annie seemed to sense that Tom wanted to speak to her, stood up and put her bag over her shoulder.

"Where do you think your going?"

She shrugged, "somewhere, anywhere as long as its away from here and you."

"Sit down Annie," she pouted and walked towards the door, "will you make me? No I didn't think so."

Slamming the door behind her Tom sighed but realised it was pointless. Annie Buxton was a law to herself sometimes. Finishing the lesson five minutes early Tom made his way to Rachel's office. Knocking on the door he remembered been here for the same reason only last week on Jack's last day.

"Come in."

Tom opened the door, "are you busy?"

"Nothing that won't wait, why?"

He sighed, "one of our students have gone awol."

"Who?"

"Annie Buxton," Rachel looked at Tom before nodding and sighing. She'd always had a gut feeling about Annie from the moment she'd laid eyes on her in the corridor. Telling Tom that she'd deal with it she looked around the office and wondered why Annie was the way she was.

Looking around the school high and low for her Rachel couldn't find her until she went outside and saw some movement from behind the bins. Slowly walking around to the bins she spotted Annie leaning against the wall, a packet of amber-leaf by her feet, attempting to roll a cigarette _again._

"Got you looking for me did they?"

"Why do you do this?"

"Do what?" She shrugged playing dumb. She knew exactly why she did it, when someone cared enough to come and find her it made her realise people did like her. They didn't just think she was a waste of space, "proved you right now haven't I?"

Rachel was silent for a moment, "about what?"

"That I'm a trouble maker. I saw it in your eyes the minute you saw me Miss, you think I'm scum."

Rachel shook her head, "I don't think your scum Annie, I don't even think you're a trouble-maker."

Annie threw the cigarette down on the floor in frustration, "did anyone ever tell you it was bad to lie?"

Rachel sat down next to Annie. She didn't even care that they were sat behind the bins and that the concrete was damp. Annie was definitely one of the most complicated characters she'd ever met, Rachel just wanted to understand her, get to know her better.

"I'm not lying," there was a pause, "Annie you're a challenge and I like you. I just wish you wouldn't do this."

"What, this? Go missing, sit behind the bins, fight, argue. Be a general pain in the arse? What do you want me to do instead?"

There was a pause between them before Annie answered her own question, "oh come and find you so we can have a cosy chat? Miss talking doesn't solve anything, I thought it did when I spoke to Jack and then he left."

"You were close to Jack weren't you?"

"Number one rule as a care kid, don't get close to anything or anyone. I broke that rule when I met Jack, he was the only person who didn't judge me based on my file. You know, didn't think I was some useless care kid without a hope."

"Is that what you think I think?"

"I don't care I'm used to it. I like Waterloo Road though, I feel like I belong. I just know that because you and I don't see eye to eye you're going to make my life hell and eventually you'll throw me on the rubbish pile like everyone else."

"Give me some credit Annie I'm not that much of a cow."

"No offence but you look the type," Annie smiled slightly, "there's something about you that makes me wary of you, I guess I'll figure you out by next week."

Rachel laughed and stood up, "promise me one thing if you do need to talk, you'll come and find me?"

Annie shrugged softly, "I don't know, that'll be too easy won't it?"

Rachel and Annie smiled at one another before Rachel told Annie she wanted to see her in her next lesson and she'd have a couple of minutes to sort herself out. As she was left alone Annie wondered if she had got her first impressions of Rachel wrong. What if she did like her?

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**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	9. CHAPTER IX

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**CHAPTER NINE**  
_spin, spin, spin sugar_

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Getting home from school she changed her clothes and lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling with her headphones in. She was trying to drown out the sound of the children's home and everyone shouting and arguing wanting a bit of peace.

Closing her eyes her eyes shot open half a second later when someone grabbed her. She looked at Rochelle and took her headphones out. Shoving her roughly she shouted, "what the fuck was that for?"

"You know what for! Stop robbing my stuff you bitch!" Rochelle shoved her back and Annie grabbed her hair pulling her to the floor. She hated it when the girls decided to fight her. She wasn't a fighter but she could handle herself, she was always too rough.

Kneeing Rochelle in the face, Rochelle's screamed, her nose pouring with blood. Her screams attracted the attention of the care workers because both Shelley and Toni walked in and tried to separate the girls.

Shelley grabbed hold of Annie, "leave her alone!"

"She fucking started it the daft bitch!"

Toni dragged Rochelle out of the room, the teenager shouting that this wasn't over and she was going to batter Annie. Shelley told Annie she'd only let her go if she promised to behave. She sighed deeply and sat on the edge of the bed.

"What was that all about?"

Annie shrugged, "Rochelle thinks I'm robbing her shit."

"Language Annie remember who you're talking too!" Shelley looked at Annie and realised she was telling the truth. She believed Annie when she said she hadn't touched any of Rochelle's stuff. She bit down on her lower lip and asked, "after dinner can we talk?"

Annie nodded, "sure, what's up?"

"Nothing, I just want a talk okay?"

Annie nodded again and said okay. It was only when she was alone in the bedroom that she wouldn't why Shelley wanted to talk, she knew it was something bad. She could sense it and she was nervous, she didn't want it to be bad news. Please no bad news.

At dinner she didn't really eat much. Tonight was spaghetti which was usually Annie's favourite but she spent most of the time pushing it around her plate. Ever since Shelley told her they needed to speak she had that sick feeling in the bottom of her stomach that she couldn't shake.

After dinner she went to the office and knocked on. Annie couldn't help but chew on her bottom lip as she walked into the office. Seeing Shelley sat behind the desk Annie slowly stepped into the room and closed the door.

"Sit down."

"You're worrying me," she sat down on the seat and crossed one leg over the other, "what's wrong?"

"I wanted you to be the first to know," Shelley paused and Annie scanned her face for some kind of reassurance. She knew what was coming next but she didn't want to hear it. Shelley was leaving. She was going to be left alone again.

"You're leaving aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

"I guessed," there was a pause between them and Annie could feel her eyes full of tears, "where are you going?"

"I've been offered a job in Southampton." Annie stood up and walked to the door. As she burst into tears she ran out of the door before Shelley could continue her sentence. With a sigh she stood up and knew she had to go and find Annie before she did something stupid.

She looked all over the house for Annie only for her not to be there. Grabbing her car keys of the desk she informed Toni that she was going to look for Annie. Sitting in her car she drove all around Rochdale. It had started to rain and Shelley realised one place Annie might've gone too.

Parking her car up, she got out and wrapped her coat around her tightly. Slowly walking towards the river she knew Annie liked been near water it hadn't been the first time she found herself by the river. Seeing a shadow in the distance she called, "Annie?"

"Go away!"

"No." The closer Shelley got to Annie, she realised what Annie was holding in her hand, "give me the knife."

"Leave me alone!"

"Annie I'm not going anywhere," Annie stroked her finger along the side of the knife. She'd never considered suicide before but she figured after tonight why not? Shelley was leaving and she was the only person to really look after Annie.

"In case you've forgotten you're leaving me."

"I didn't say I'd taken it did I?"

"You wouldn't have told me if you hadn't." She noticed the movement in the corner of her eye as Shelley sat down. The rain had started to get heavier but Annie didn't care, she just wanted Shelley to explain why she was leaving her.

"Why are you going?"

"I don't know," Annie held the knife tightly in her hand, "is it because of me? Are you leaving because I'm hard work?"

"No," Shelley looked at the child she'd grown to love all these years and wondered why there wasn't an easy way to say how she felt. She'd been a big part of Annie's life ever since the age of eight and now that bond was going to be snatched away Annie thought.

"You're lying!"

Annie dropped the knife, stood up from the river bank and walked away.

"Come with me!"

Annie heard what Shelley said and slowly turned around, "what did you just say?"

"I want you to come with me," she smiled slightly, "I want you to come to Southampton."

Annie hadn't even noticed that Shelley had walked towards her and she swallowed hard. Shelley wanted her to go with her, she wasn't going to be on her own? Shelley tucked a strand of hair behind Annie's ear, "I want to adopt you, if you let me."

Annie felt a tear slide down her cheek, "you want to adopt me?"

"Yes, what do you say?"

Annie blinked. Surely this wasn't happening. Never in a million years did she think Shelley would ever adopt her and here she was, telling her that if she was to go to Southampton, she'd be adopted. Bursting into tears she wrapped her arms around Shelley and answered; "yes! yes! yes!"

* * *

**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	10. EPILOGUE

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**EPILOGUE**  
_reaching the stars above_

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They've been awake since five-forty, travelling to Southampton on the motorway. She's packed all her stuff, said her goodbyes to the children in the care home, the friends she'd met at school and her teachers.

Annie was a little sad to leave Waterloo Road because as Jack said, it was her home. She belonged there and what if she didn't belong at her new school in Southampton. She sighed and Shelley glanced at Annie in the passenger seat, "you okay?"

"I'm fine, are you?"

Shelley nodded. Half of her was excited, the other half was petrified of this new life with Annie. Yes she'd been her care worker since the age of eight but been her mother was something entirely different.

"I'm okay."

There's a song playing quietly on the radio and Annie and Shelley briefly look at each other then look away again. Annie runs a hand up her arm and pinches herself, this couldn't be happening but it was. She was going to Southampton with Shelley.

"Annie?"

"Yes?"

There was a pause, "whatever happens I'm always going to be here okay?"

Annie nodded her head. She believed Shelley wasn't ever going to leave her. She thought back to her sister and the day her sister died and how she met Shelley, in the head teacher's office the same day. She wondered if it was meant to happen, she was meant to lose her sister and find Shelley.

"I love you Annie."

Their eyes met again briefly, "I love you too _mum_."

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**jottings** / so here we have it, the ending. thank you for the reviews/favourites/follows, hope you've enjoyed my writing! :3


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